The carpenter's house
木匠的房子
An elderly carpenter was ready to retire.
一位年迈的木匠准备退休了。
He told his employer-contractor of his plans to leave the house building business and live a more leisurely life with his wife enjoying his extended family.
他告诉他的老板他准备离开建筑业的打算，他说他想和他的妻子过一种更休闲的生活，享受天伦之乐。
He would miss the paycheck, but he needed to retire.
他还说他会怀念这里的薪水的，但他必须退休了，
They could get by.
他的离职他们慢慢就会适应的。
The contractor was sorry to see his good worker go and asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favor.
老板对他的这位优秀员工的离去感到非常遗憾，于是问他是否可以盖最后一栋房子作为私下里的帮忙。
The carpenter said yes, but in time it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work.
这位木匠答应了，但显而易见他做事的时候是心不在焉的，
He resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferior materials.
他的手工做得毛毛糙糙，用的材料也是次品。
It was an unfortunate way to end his career.
这样结束他的事业是不幸的，
When the carpenter finished his work and the builder came to inspect the house, the contractor handed the front-door key to the carpenter.
当木匠最后完工，老板来看房子时，他把前门的钥匙交给木匠说，
This is your house, he said, "my gift to you".
这是你的房子，是我送给你的礼物。
What a shock! What a shame!
震惊！羞愧！
If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently.
如果他早知道他是在盖自己的房子，他肯定会做得截然不同的，
Now he had to live in the home he had built none too well.
现在他不得不住在自己建的糟糕透顶的房子里面。
So it is with us. We build our lives in a distracted way, reacting rather than acting, willing to put up less than the best.
这个道理同样适合我们，在营造生活时，我们的精力被分散到太多的地方，我们只是被动地适应而不会主动行动，而我们自己也不愿意去尽心尽力地营造我们的生活。
At important points, we do not give the job our best effort.
在重要的时刻我们也没能尽自己最大的努力做好工作。
Then with a shock we look at the situation we have created and find that we are now living in the house we have built.
然后我们吃惊地看到自己所做的一切：发现自己就处在自己营建的房子里。
If we had realized that we would have done it differently.
如果我们早意识到这一点的话，我们的做法就会完全不同。
Think of yourself as the carpenter. Think about your house.
就当自己是位木匠吧，想想自己的房子。
Each day you hammer a nail, place a board, or erect a wall.
每天钉钉子，铺板或是砌墙。
Build wisely. It is the only life you will ever build.
那么建造得更明智一些吧。
Even if you live it for only one day more, that day deserves to be lived graciously and with dignity.
即使你能建造的生活只有这一次，即使你只能再多生活一天，这一天也应活得优雅，有尊严。
The plaque on the wall says, Life is a do-it-yourself project.
正如墙上的题典写着的:生活就是一项为自己打造的工程。
Your life tomorrow will be the result of your attitudes and the choices you make today.
你明天的生活将取决于你今天的态度和做出的决定。
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